“Lawsuit filed over Hollywood Community Plan”

In a legal challenge likely to be debated among candidates in the 2013 mayor’s race, a Hollywood group is suing the city over approvals of new zoning laws that allow for taller buildings in the neighborhood.

On Wednesday, the La Mirada Neighborhood Association of Hollywood filed a lawsuit in L.A. Superior Court over passage of the Hollywood Community Plan, a blueprint that guides planning and development in Hollywood.

The suit alleges that plan, which would allow for taller buildings in some areas of Hollywood, violates the California Environmental Quality Act, the landmark state law governing development.

Among other things, the lawsuit claims the city failed to consider the effects of traffic, air quality, and land use in approving the Hollywood Community Plan.